Cluster hardening in an aged Al-Cu-Mg alloy

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Scripta Materialia

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6462(96)00415-0· OSTI ID:455187

Ringer, S P; Polmear, I J ^[1]; Hono, Kazuhiro ^[2]; Sakurai, Toshio ^[3]

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1. Monash Univ., Clayton, Victoria (Australia). Dept. of Materials Engineering
2. National Research Inst. for Metals, Tsukuba (Japan)
3. Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Inst. for Materials Research

The phenomenon of age hardening was first discovered in an Al-Cu-Mg alloy by Wilm in Berlin in 1906. Here the authors present a new interpretation of the origin of hardening in these important alloys. The first stage of hardening in Al-Cu-Mg alloys has generally been attributed to the formation of Guinier-Preston zones comprised of copper and magnesium atoms (often known as GPB zones), although the structure and chemistry of GPB zones remains poorly defined. Evidence for the existence of these zones and their characteristics is based on interpretations of weak diffraction effects arising from diffuse X-ray scattering in alloys aged for times corresponding to various stages along the hardness plateau. Bagaryatsky considered the zones to be associated with short range ordering along the {l_brace}100{r_brace}{alpha} planes. Evidence for the source of the rapid early hardening has therefore been sought by recourse to the technique of atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM).

• OSTI ID: 455187
• Journal Information: Scripta Materialia, Journal Name: Scripta Materialia Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 36; ISSN 1359-6462; ISSN SCMAF7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AGE HARDENING
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HARDNESS
MAGNESIUM ALLOYS
MICROSTRUCTURE
SAMPLE PREPARATION
TIME DEPENDENCE